Richard Seymour, free agent at season’s end, returns to practice

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour returned to practice Monday as he tries to come back and play in what are likely his last three games as an Oakland Raider. Seymour had missed the previous five games with a hamstring injury, and will become a free agent as his contract voids at the end of the season.

“I would love to retire a Raider but I have earned the right to be a free agent,” Seymour said.

Seymour, 33, has played in 53 games in four years in Oakland, since late owner Al Davis traded a first-round pick for him in 2009. The seven-time Pro Bowler has 18.5 sacks and 139 tackles in his time here.

Seymour is saying all the right things, but the writing is on the wall – better yet, the Raiders’ 3-10 record and six straight losses are spray-painted on like subway graffiti. McKenzie and the Raiders are in rebuilding mode and are unlikely to try and re-sign Seymour.

Twenty-six players who were on the roster on Week 17 of last season have ben jettisoned already by first-year GM McKenzie and rookie coach Dennis Allen. And starting cornerback Ron Bartell was waived Monday (see sidebar.)

“It’s a business,” Seymour said. “Everybody is being evaluated from the top to the bottom. We’re all in this together, and we have to put our best foot forward. This is a great week to get back on track.”

Seymour restructured his deal in March, lowering his $7.5 million fully guaranteed base salary to the league minimum ($925,000) with the remaining $6.575 million converted to a guaranteed roster bonus.

That bonus will be treated as a signing bonus for salary cap purposes and was prorated over the maximum allowable number of years (five). Thus, the five-year, $37.5 million “extension” that Seymour signed in March.

(Four-fifths of the $6.575 mil bonus, or $5.26 mil, will count against the cap as dead money.)

Seymour practiced Monday but doesn’t know if he’ll be able to play Sunday against the Chiefs. “Obviously I’m not there yet, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “We’ll see how this week of practice goes.”